DC Metro Sports - IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: PACMAN JONES SENT PACKING

Written by "Hurricane" Forest C. Godwin
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
This week in the Eye of the Storm, it's the NFL vs. Adam Pacman Jones. I will play defense attorney for Adam Pacman Jones. The Dallas Cowboys defensive back has been suspended indefinitely. Commissioner Roger Goodell will review the situation and Pacman could be reinstated in just four weeks. It's not likely though, since Pacman was given a strict set of guidelines to adhere to. I say sure, he was given rules to abide by, but aren't rules meant to be broken? For most of Adam Pacman Jones' career, however short it has been, there have been exceptions made for this exceptional player. The football player, rapper, entrepreneur has had some run-ins with the law. Each time, Mr. Jones has been given a pass. No doubt his tremendous talent kept him from serving time for any crime allegedly committed. The most notable is the incident that took place in a Las Vegas strip club during NBA All-Star weekend two years ago that left the manager Tommy Urbanski paralyzed. To say that was an extremely unfortunate situation would be an understatement. With the legal disposition of the case still to be determined the NFL decided to suspend Mr. Jones for the entire 2007 season. During that time, Mr. Jones worked hard to gain reinstatement into the league and have another opportunity to reach the full potential of his athletic career. Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, then traded for the suspended DB and assigned a security staff to follow Mr. Jones around the clock. After training camp, Adam Jones was reinstated in the NFL. Many feel that after this opportunity to live life as a professional athlete again, that Pacman Jones should do everything in his power to stay clean and clear of trouble. I understand the sentiments of those on the outside looking in. But let's look at it from Mr. Jones point of view. Pacman Jones has run afoul of the law before. We just happen to know more about the Las Vegas incident than we do the others. But each time, there were two constants. First, alcohol undoubtedly played a role. Second, Pacman was given another chance and all was forgiven thanks to the fact that he is a talented football player. So, I contend that Mr. Jones, is on one hand, sick. He has a problem with alcohol. In the latest incident, which took place at a Dallas hotel, Mr. Jones was in an alleged altercation with his bodyguard. No police report was ever filed and the bodyguard will not press charges. Hotel employees called police on Jones in what could honestly have just been a minor misunderstanding between two men. But because one of them is named Pacman Jones, people overreacted. It has since been called an alcohol related disagreement. I am sure you as a reader have witnessed or may have been involved on one of those. Sometimes, arguments occur, cooler heads prevail and people go on with their lives. Can you imagine coming to work on Monday and being suspended for four weeks because of an argument you had while tailgating at FedEx Field? No one was hurt. Doesn't quite seem fair does it? Let’s get back to the problem, alcohol. Mr. Jones obviously has a problem with alcohol. Suspension is not necessary. He should be coddled some more and given the opportunity to face his problem head on, perhaps Alcoholics Anonymous. Maybe the Dallas Cowboys should have a counselor come in and spend 24 hours a day with Mr. Jones to help him with his problem. That way, he can still deliver on Sunday's while treating his sickness. And I am sure we all agree alcoholism is a disease. So, you see, Mr. Jones can only be held partially accountable for his actions. We really should do more to help this man. My second argument involves the "rules" that Mr. Jones was asked to live by. Again, how could Pacman Jones have known that Roger Goodell was sincere when he issued the strict guidelines for Mr. Jones to adhere to. He has been in trouble before and been given opportunity after opportunity to play through pending legal cases. Even during his season long suspension, Pacman Jones knew he would be instated. After the NFL approved the trade between the Cowboys and Tennessee Titans, it was a forgone conclusion that Mr. Jones would be reinstated. The NFL has a history of giving players second chances. Ask the teammate of Pacman Jones, one Tank Johnson, who actually served time in prison and was reinstated. Michael Irvin, not only had his run-ins with the law, but is a Hall of Famer. The precedence has been set. Superstar, ultra-talented athletes will always get another opportunity. When Michael Vick is released from jail in a just about 10 months, he will get the opportunity to comeback into the league. We have done a disservice to Pacman Jones by allowing him to have chance after chance to make things right. We cannot expect him to believe that there really are repercussions to his negative actions. So, as you can clearly see, Adam Pacman Jones, cannot be held directly responsible for his actions. He is a victim of society. Adam Jones did not create this world of priviledged athletes. He was born into it. Mr. Jones didn't ask for special treatment, it was given to him. It would be unfair of us to expect Mr. Jones to live by the same rules as the rest of us. Mr. Jones is dealing with the disease of alcoholism and an acute case of coddled athlete syndrome. Mr. Jones needs our help. Not another year long suspension. Let's make sure that athletes like Mr. Jones are given every opportunity to reach his potential, no matter how many people are hurt in the process. You can email Forest at The Eye of the Storm can be read each Wednesday "Hurricane" Forest C. Godwin can be heard weekly on The SportsGroove with Mark Gray on WOL-AM in Washington D.C.

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